Benefits of Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding Module – HUG 2121
This essay will explore various factors within breastfeeding, it will focus on the long and short term health benefits of breastfeeding, for both the mother and baby it will also discuss the reasons why women chose not to breastfeed, especially within the western society.
Contributory factors such as social, psychological, cultural and political all contribute to the reasons women chose to breastfeed or not.
WHO (2011), suggests that breast milk provides the necessary nutrients for up to the second half of the infants first year , and it also promotes sensory and cognitive development, and protection from infections and chronic illness.
Breastfeeding has been also promoted by various studies and organisations and is said to be the healthiest and most effective way of feeding your baby, it not only increases bonding with the baby, but it also helps the mother to keep track of their babies health. Dykes (2002:98)
The world health organisation(WHO) recommends that “mothers worldwide to exclusively breastfeed infants for the child 's first six months in order to achieve optimal growth, development and health”.
There are many advantages associated with breastfeeding your baby, such as low risk of child obesity, which in turn usually leads to type 2 diabetes in later life and a low risk of acquiring other health problems such as eczema. Miller (1991:76).
Breast milk also contains valuable antibodies from the mother that may help the baby resist infections, so this means the baby is not at a high risk of acquiring disease.
There are various factors that influence the initiation and maintenance of breastfeeding, Earle (2002) recognises some of these factors, as the way the mother identifies herself, the fathers understanding on infant feeding, the personal factors involved and the sexualisation of breasts.
The politics of breastfeeding is explained in detail by, Counihan (2008:467) stating that political obstacles
This essay will explore various factors within breastfeeding, it will focus on the long and short term health benefits of breastfeeding, for both the mother and baby it will also discuss the reasons why women chose not to breastfeed, especially within the western society.
Contributory factors such as social, psychological, cultural and political all contribute to the reasons women chose to breastfeed or not.
WHO (2011), suggests that breast milk provides the necessary nutrients for up to the second half of the infants first year , and it also promotes sensory and cognitive development, and protection from infections and chronic illness.
Breastfeeding has been also promoted by various studies and organisations and is said to be the healthiest and most effective way of feeding your baby, it not only increases bonding with the baby, but it also helps the mother to keep track of their babies health. Dykes (2002:98)
The world health organisation(WHO) recommends that “mothers worldwide to exclusively breastfeed infants for the child 's first six months in order to achieve optimal growth, development and health”.
There are many advantages associated with breastfeeding your baby, such as low risk of child obesity, which in turn usually leads to type 2 diabetes in later life and a low risk of acquiring other health problems such as eczema. Miller (1991:76).
Breast milk also contains valuable antibodies from the mother that may help the baby resist infections, so this means the baby is not at a high risk of acquiring disease.
There are various factors that influence the initiation and maintenance of breastfeeding, Earle (2002) recognises some of these factors, as the way the mother identifies herself, the fathers understanding on infant feeding, the personal factors involved and the sexualisation of breasts.
The politics of breastfeeding is explained in detail by, Counihan (2008:467) stating that political obstacles
Bibliography: Anderson, A. K., Damio, G., Young, S., Chapman, D., Perez-Escamilla, R. (2005). A Randomized Trial Assessing the Efficacy of Peer Counselling on Exclusive Breastfeeding Bryant C, Coreil J, D’Angelo S, Bailey D, Lazarov M. (1992) A strategy for promoting breastfeeding among economically disadvantaged women and adolescents. NAACOGS Womens Health Nurs.1992;3:723-730 Breastfeeding Among U.S Curran, J. (2006). Online Update: “Nurse-ins” planned over ejection of breast-feeding N.M mother. Las Cruces Sun-News. http://lcsun- Dykes F. Western medicine and marketing: Construction of an inadequate milk syndrome in lactating women. Health Care Women Int. 2002;23:492–502. EU (2004) Promoting, protecting and supporting breastfeeding: an action plan for Europe Foster K, Lader D, Cheesbrough S., Infant feeding (1995), The Stationery Office, London 1997 Fletcher, D, Harris, H, The implementation of the HOT program at the Royal Women 's Hospital Breastfeeding Review 2000, 8 (1): 19-23 Houston MJ (1984) Home support for the breast feeding mother. In: MJ Houston, editors Maternal and infant health care Hartley B, O’Connor M. (1996)Evaluation of the “Best Start” breastfeedingeducation program. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 150:868-871 Insel, P., Turner, R Lauwers, J. & Swisher, A. (2010) Counseling the Nursing Mother Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers Inc. Marcus, J.A. (2007,). Lactation and the law. Mothering (143), 48-57 Miller NH, Miller DJ, Chism M Pryor, G. (2010) Nursing Mother, Working Mother: The essential guide to breastfeeding your baby before and after you return to work Sydney: Read How You Want Large Print Books Protheroe, L., Dyson, L., Renfew, M Scott JA, Binns CW.(1999) Factors associated with the initiation and duration of breastfeeding: a review of the literature. Breastfeed Rev 1999; 7: 5–16. World Health Organization (2003) Global strategy for infant and young child feeding. In: Organization WH, ed